A Birthday Within ShinRa
by Betty Royale
Summary: It's Cissnei's birthday, but will anyone have remembered? CissneiXReno *I WANT REVIEWZ NOM NOM NOM*


Most up : D

The fanfiction bug had been biting me for a while so I whipped this up. It's my first fanfic so reviews are MUCH appreciated. This is the product of Disney songs on iTunes and staying up late. Whee. CissneiXReno FTW! Cissnei needs more love to stop her emoments. Enjoy!

Cissnei blinked at the calendar she had draped lazily up against a wall in her kitchen. _16__th__ September_? Her birthday? Already? Ever since she'd joined the infamous Turks, she hadn't kept track of days gone by. It had all seemed like one long rollercoaster ride for her that she couldn't get off. Slamming a dark blue mug down on the counter to prepare coffee, Cissnei thought back about her previous birthdays. She hadn't had much of a childhood. Raised within the Shinra building, her birthday was ignored and never celebrated. Had she even been told 'happy birthday'?

Cissnei's small, one bedroomed apartment was located near the centre of Midgar – only a few minutes away from the colossal Shinra building that loomed over every Sector in the huge, polluted city. She quickly glanced at the novelty Moogle clock that hung above her small bedroom window. She still had plenty of time to get to work, especially with the added advantage of living so close to her workplace. The redhead looked out her window. The polluted city never felt like it had an ounce of joy or happiness in the air. The majority of Midgar citizens were washed-up, depressed souls and the rest were new arrivals who had come for a job in Shinra. The Shinra building was a cold place – Cissnei wouldn't bet on getting a birthday greeting this year either. It would make her day, even year, just to hear someone wish her a happy birthday. She was sure at least someone in the company knew her birthdate. As she absentmindedly wiped leftover eyeliner off her delicate face from the day before, she pondered her age. She was twenty now; just escaped from her teens. At twenty, the average girl would still have her parents supporting her. She would never feel lonely, and feel loved. That was the kind of girl Cissnei wished she was. Being raised in an orphanage and picked up by Shinra like an accessory, she was raised under strict training conditions and never had a figure she could love and who would love her back.

30 minutes later, Cissnei was inside the Shinra building on the 1st floor. As her black shoes clicked against the polished floor, she smiled at the blonde receptionist who manufactured a smile back to her. Pressing the elevator button, the door opened with a small beeping noise. She pushed in her destination and the elevator shot up at a speed that would make a person feel ill. Passing by Scarlet – who was dressed in her skimpy red ensemble and a fierce look decorated with shocking blue eyeshadow and vibrant red lipstick – the brown-eyed young woman headed directly for the Turks locker room, keeping her head down. Fishing out her dull silver locker key from her tight jacket pocket, she opened her locker. The only things in there were a stack of documents and her shuriken. Sighing, she closed her locker door only to be surprised by a tall, ponytail man with a stern expression. She jumped slightly at his sudden appearance. "Tseng!" she gasped. The Asian man quickly looked her up and down as if he was inspecting 

her. Tseng was the only person in the whole Shinra building who had known her the longest. He had been the one to pick her out from that dusty orphanage in the Sector 5 slums and lead her into a life with Shinra. He was young, but kept to himself. If Cissnei had anyone to look up to, it was Tseng. Tseng paused, looking into her brown eyes as if he was going to say something to her that wasn't the same as the new mission details she heard everyday. "Cissnei…" he began, "Have you gone over your mission? You are to observe Zack Fair SOLDIER in the Sector 7 slums. He is most likely at the slum church conversing with Miss Aerith Gainsbor…" Cissnei had already stopped listening.

"C'mon, Rude, do this for me, yo!" Reno begged his partner, who characteristically remained silent. "We're buddies, aren't we? Just this one simple thing… It would mean a lot to me, yo" Reno couldn't see the full scowl Rude obscured with his sunglasses. "This 'one simple thing' could get me fired or in serious trouble with the boss. You know we aren't allowed to snoop around the building" reasoned Rude, breaking his long silence. "And," he continued, "Why can't you do it?" "Because, Rude, if you won't do this for me, I might have to let slip that thing you have for that pretty girl with the shotgun. I hate using blackmail but…" Reno smirked, leaning back. "Look, I just have a feeling that it's around this time and I just need it confirmed, okay?"

At around 8pm, Cissnei stepped outside the Shinra building, ready to collapse on her bed. Although she hadn't expected anyone to have remembered her birthday, she harvested a thought that maybe Tseng had known. As she walked steadily through the lightened streets - the lights on the front of the Shinra building almost looked like they shone a path for her - she thought she heard someone call her name. She thought nothing of it until it became louder. She turned around to see her red headed, ponytailed co-worker walking cockily behind her (although it was obvious he had been running to catch up with her). He was a picture of untidiness, with his long red hair tied messily in a sweeping ponytail, his dress shirt unbuttoned and hanging out of his trousers. He was handsome, in a strange sort of way, with his red marking tattoos just above his cheekbones. "Reno?" she questioned, confused as to why he had approached her in such a way. He was a joker and, although they didn't talk much, they weren't enemies. Cissnei saw Reno as the kind of person she could fool about with those rare times she did. "Cissnei! Happy birthday…yo", he said, extending a single red rose to her. Cissnei's eyes sparkled. "You…remembered?" she spoke softly, delicately taking the rose from him. "…How?" Reno smiled. "Tseng had told us details about you before you came to work here. I guess I just..remembered, yo. I wanted to check it was today just to make sure so I made Rude dig up your file." Cissnei blushed furiously, then bent her head shyly. "Th..thank you Reno." Reno put his arm around her and she did not object as they embraced outside the Shinra building. "No problem, doll."

It seemed one could find love even in Midgar.

Yay! I hope Cissnei didn't get too emo for your liking ;

Reviews please! Critique is appreciated.


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